Thinking Out Loud
by Harry88
Summary: Set 6 months after Molly's second tour, a night out at a Charity Ball takes an unexpected turn for Molly. Song fic!
1. Chapter 1

Molly opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the bedroom, "Does this look ok?" she questioned.

Charles looked up from unpacking his open suitcase on the bed, he straightened up and did his half smile, "Perfect'.

"Are you really sure, I've never been to one of these poncey things and I don't wanna look a tit".

"Mol, you look gorgeous", He said, looking up and down at her slim form in the blue sequined ball gown she wore.

"Promise everyone will look like this!" she insisted.

Charles laughed, "Everyone will be dressed up, its a ball! Not everyone will look like you though, you look beautiful. Now I need to get changed or we are going to be late!", and with that he swept passed her, dropping a kiss on to her exposed shoulder, and into the bathroom and the shower.

...

The taxi was waiting for them outside the hotel and swept them away to the military charity ball. Molly was nervous, but without really knowing why. She knew logically that though the event started off formally, that it usually ended up decidedly informal and a lot of fun. She also knew that most of 2 section were also attending, as was Jackie. But this was the first military event that she had attended as Charles' date. Though everyone had known of their burgeoning relationship for months, tonight they were in proper couple mode, seated together and everything, and for some reason that made her nervous.

The taxi pulled up outside the central London hotel and she waited for Charles to open her door, and she stepped out, careful not to place her heel on her dress or to catch the slight train in the closing taxi door. Charles took her hand and they walked into the swanky hotel. They got to the ballroom, walking into the grand space, and the butterflies were there again. Then, over by the table plan she spotted some familiar faces.

'Alright Tossers!'

'Alright Dawsey!' said Mansfield, dropping his traditional kiss on her cheek.

'Looking smokin' Dawsey' leered Fingers, egged on by Dangles and Nudenut. Then the boys froze slightly as their eyes looked down Molly's arm to the hand holding hers.

'Boss! Didn't see you!' said Dangles.

Charles laughed, 'Lads.' He nodded, 'Think its going to be a good night?'

'Too right Sir,' Said Mansfield, 'And yours just got even better as it looks like you're sat with us!'.

During the canapes and drinks before the meal, Molly spotted several familiar figures in the crowds. She saw the upright figure of Major Beck, and well as the distinctive form of Kinders, as he slid through the crowds to find the rest of 2 section and the under fives. Molly also managed to grab 5 minutes with Jackie Dawlish, who spent most of the time teasing her about Charles, and trying to find out more gossip! Molly enjoyed their exchange, but it was short, and she spent most of the mingling time being dragged around by Charles as he spoke to many of the senior officers in attendance. She realised how different it was coming to this kind of event as "Major James' date" as oppose to coming as Private Dawes.

Soon they were ushered to there tables and Molly and Charles found themselves sat with Kinders, FIngers, Mansfield, Nudenut and Dangleberries, and well as Major Beck and his wife, who was introduced to her as Laura. The meal was delicious, and soon the conversation was flowing. Molly had Charles to her right, and Mansfield to her left, so found she could join Charles' conversation with Major Beck, and then relax into chatting to her friends. She sighed, leaning back into her chair, glass of champagne in hand.

"Ok?" asked Charles, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes Boss," She replied grinning up at him, "A lot more than I thought I would".

"Good," He laughed, "And this evening is only going to get better!" and with that he leant down and brushed his lips against hers, before pulling back to give her one of his grins.

He brushed his hands along her shoulder, in a reassuring way, and turned back to his conversation.

When the meal was drawing to a finish, and people were sipping their coffees, the Corps of Army took to the stage to open the entertainment. Slowly people began to wind their way over to the dance floor, and over to the bar to replenish their glasses after the meal.

"Oi Mansfield," Molly bellowed, "Seen the Boss-Man anywhere?". Mansfeld laughed "Haha, knew it wouldn't last long Dawsey!" He teased. "Nah seriously, not seen him for a bit, or Dangles for that matter".

At that moment the band stopped playing, and the lights dimmed.

"Bit odd," said Nudenute. The room seemed to still around them and a hush descended. Out of the darkness Molly heard a noise

"_When my legs don't work like they used to before,"_

With that a spotlight appeared on the stage, behind Molly's back.

"Boss?" whispered Mansfield

"_And I can't sweep you off of your feet"_

Molly turned, and there on the stage, illuminated by a single spotlight, stood Charles, with a mic in front of him and a guitar in his hands. Dangles behind him, sat at a piano.

Molly gasped, and as the words he had sung filtered into her consciousness, an image came into her head, of Charles, limping up the stairs on their very first date. A blush came to her cheeks

"_Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love."_

She grinned, remembering their very first kiss in Afghan, and how very desperate she had been to kiss Charles again.

"_Will your eyes still smile, from your cheeks". _

Charles eyes met hers across the crowd, and he gave her one of his, now infamous, winks.

"_Darlin' I will, be loving you 'till, we're 70_

_Baby my, heart, could still fall as hard, as at 20"_

She laughed again, at his insistence that they would be together that long, and gave a wry smile at the reference to when he met Rebecca. She knew he was trying to tell her that he wasn't jaded by his past, and loved her as freely as if he hadn't been hurt.

"_I'm thinkin' 'bout how, people fall in love in mysterious ways,_

_Maybe just the touch of a hand"_

With that she was back in the med tent in Afghan, the day she went on R&R, Charles hand intertwined with hers.

"_Me, I fall in love with you, every single day,_

_And I just want to tell you I am"_

"Eww!" said Mansfield, "Who knew the Boss was so soppy!"

Fingers laughed.

"Shut up you Prannet!" Whispered Molly.

People were starting to look over at her now, following the gaze of the man on stage, and realising that it was her he was singing to.

"_So honey now, _

_Take me into your loving arms,_

_Kiss me under the light of 1000 stars,_

_Place your head on my beating heart"_

Molly just smiled as the lyrics washed over her, taking in the references: to her love of the Afghan sky and the endless stars she had been able to see, for the first time, there, and also the reference to the hight difference between them. Her head didn't tuck under his chin, but only just reached to his heart.

"_I'm thinking out loud, _

_That maybe we found love right where we are"_

Molly noticed people were really looking over now, watching the searing eye contact between the man on the stage and this mystery woman. Molly felt their gazes, and broke eye contact with Charles, looking into the crowd. Her eyes found Jackie, who pretended to swoon, laughing.

"_When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades"_

Charles, hand left his guitar to ruffle his hair, teasing Molly about how she loved to do the same.

"_And these crowds don't remember my name,_

_When my hands don't play these strings the same way_

_I know you will still love me the same"_

He looked at her questioningly, and she nodded back at him.

"Oh Dawsey, I thought you were so hard!" smirked Nudenut, earning him a sharp elbow in the ribs in return, as well as a "Shhhh!" from Jackie, who had made her way over to join the group.

_'Cause honey, your soul, could never grow old, it's evergreen,'_

_And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory"_

_I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

_Maybe it's all part of a plan"_

"Or just Lady Luck", thought Molly, thinking about what had been said at the CP about who you meet, and fall in love with.

"_Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes_

_Hoping that you'll understand"_

Charles' eyes never left hers, as he sought reassurance, mainly that Molly wasn't going to kill him when he got down off the stage. He knew she hated things like this, as she was not a fan of public displays of affection!

"_But, baby, now_

_Take me into your loving arms,_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars,_

_Place your head on my beating heart,_

_Thinking out loud_

_That maybe we found love right where we are"_

The song came to an end, and the stage slipped into darkness again. Then was illuminated fully again to show the band for the rest of the evening taking to the stage.

**The song included in the ****fix is 'Thinking Out Loud', by Ed Sheran. No right to our girl or Ed Sheran's song. **

**Reviews always welcome - be kind, its my first fic!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Molly blinked in confusion. What had just happened?! She looked around and saw 2 section looking at her, grinning.

"Did you know about this you fuck muppets?"

"Nah Molls, but your expression is priceless!" laughed Mansfield

"Seriously Dawes, do you think we could have known about that? AND kept it a secret!" Kinders remarked.

Then she saw them, coming through the crowd, the tides of people parting slightly to let them through, the the gaze of those they passed following them through the crowd. Boss man and Dangles.

Charles, met her eye as he got closer, looking slightly nervous, biting his lip.

"Moll," He said, hands up in front of him, "Before you say anything..."

"Before I say anything?! What happened to being subtle, not flaunting our relationship in peoples faces, and not drawing attention to ourselves?!" She snapped.

Charles stepped his feet out, hands on his hips, giving her his 'Boss-man' face.

"Look, I came up with this song a few weeks ago, and Dangles said he would help me get the tune all sorted, and then it was all finished, and this seemed the perfect place to sing it to you!"

"If you think you are going to win any plaudits for that ridiculous and foolhardy act, you are 100% mistaken" Snapped Molly

"Yeah, Yeah, very funny! Use my own words against me." Said Charles with his half smile, arms still folded. "You can't actually be angry, I just said that I love you in front of a room full of people!"

"You've made a right scene," Whispered Molly, "EVERYONE is looking at us!" She hissed through gritted teeth.

"Please don't be angry, lets just enjoy ourselves! There's going to be dancing now, and you know how much you love an opportunity to laugh at my dancing."

Molly finally smiled, Charles reached over and put his hands on the elbows of her folded arms.

"I knew that would make you smile, but really? Is my dancing that bad?!"

"Shh you idiot," said Molly, leaning in and giving him a loving kiss.

There was a smattering of applause from the people in the crowd still watching them, which made them both blush!

The band played on for an hour more, while guests danced casually on and drank champagne at their tables and around the bar. Molly relaxed again, as everyone mingled. She sat in her seat, leaning back into her chair, chatting to Kinders, Charles's hand resting lazily on her leg.

Several people, many Molly had never met, came up to comment on Charles' impromptu performance on stage.

"God Mol'. That was so romantic. I am SO jealous!" said Jackie, nudging Molly as she sat down on the chair next to her. "Is he like that all the time?" She teased.

"Nope, mainly's he's a pain in the ass". Said Molly loudly, so Charles could hear.

"Watch it Dawes!" said Charles, in his Boss-man voice, crossing his arms. Then he slipped into a smile as Molly and Jackie set off giggling.

The lights dimmed in the room again, and a hushed atmosphere descended again

"Your turn now Dawsey!" teased Brains.

"Yeah, haha, very funny!"

The ceiling was illuminated by red spinning lights, everyones gaze shot upwards, and then the spotlight focused on a DJ in a booth, now center stage.

"Now the fun really starts!" Shouted Dangles as 'Rather Be' by Clean Bandit burst from the speakers.

Soon they were all on the dance floor. The drinks they had consumed loosening their limbs and making them all far less self conscious that they may have been. They danced on and on, 2 section, Molly, Charles, Jackie, some other medics Molly now knew, and some of the other under 5's.

"Just going to the bar!" Charles shouted over the music to Molly, "What would you like to drink?"

"Jaeger!" Shouted back Mansfield.

"Fine fine, Jaegerbombs all round" Said Charles reluctantly, remembering the last time Molly had persuaded him to have one.

He strode his way through the crowd and made it to the bar. "20 jaegerbombs please" he shouted to the bar man over the dying notes of 'Sigma', 'Changing'.

"James!" he heard. There, to his left, stood Major Beck.

"Beck, Drink?"

"All alright thank you. Just wanted to say - I owe you an apology. When I first heard about you and Dawes, I thought it was a bit of a joke. I mean, she's very attractive and all, but you just seemed such different people! I thought it was something a bit informal, something to get you over your divorce. But I see I was mistaken. I'm sorry, you seem very happy."

"Ummm, thanks?!" Said Charles, looking confused.

"Looks like you've got you hands full!" Beck continued, nodding towards the dance floor, where Molly, Nudenut and Baz were grinding away to 'Bang Bang'.

Charles couldn't help but laugh, watching them dance away. East end Molly was always nearer to the surface when Molly had had a few drinks.

"Didn't intend to offend," Continued Major Beck "Just wanted to say that I didn't realise there was such feeling there. Got Laura and mine's bless..."

"Sorry!" Interjected Charles, "Didn't realise I needed it!"

And he walked off carrying his tray of Jaegerbombs over to their group.

"What was that about?" asked Molly, nodding towards Beck

"Nothing,"

"Seriously, what was it?"

"Nothing important, just said he had assumed that 'this'," Charles gestured to himself and to Molly "was just a bit of fun. Said he wanted to apologise as he didn't realise we had feelings for each other!"

"Prick!" shouted Molly over the music.

"Don't let it ruin our night, drink up!". Charles took a drink from the tray, handed it to Molly, took one for himself, knocked their drinks together and downed it in one.

"Wow! Go Boss Man!" shouted Nude Nut.

"Eww," He shuddered,

He passed the drinks out to everyone, one more each for him and Moly included, and they all downed there drinks together.

"Now, where were we", He shouted, grabbing Molly's hand, and doing a silly bop along to the music.


End file.
